The present invention relates to the demonstration of the involvement of the Notch3 protein in CADASIL thus allowing in particular a diagnosis of a predisposition to certain neurological disorders, in particular CADASIL, and models which make it possible to test the therapies possible for this type of pathology.
CADASIL or xe2x80x9cCerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathyxe2x80x9d has recently been identified as a cause of cerebral attacks and of dementia whose main characteristics include recidivous subcortical infarcts, migraines and a vascular dementia, in association with MRI images objectivizing diffuse abnormalities of the cerebral white substance.
An anatomicopathological examination shows multiple small deep cerebral infarcts, a leukoencephalopathy and a nonatherosclerotic and nonamyloid angiopathy involving essentially the small cerebral arteries.
As its name indicates, CADASIL is a hereditary disease with a dominant autosomal character. For more information, there may be found in particular a study of the clinical spectrum of CADASIL in H. Chabriat et al., The Lancet, Vol. 346, Oct. 7, 1995.
This highly incapacitating and very often lethal disease has probably remained so far largely undiagnosed as such; the study of about one hundred families since 1993 shows that erroneous diagnoses were most often given to the patient (multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer""s disease and the like). Current studies would tend to demonstrate that it is a condition which is much more widespread than what was thought during its discovery.
The research studies currently pursued have the objective of identifying diagnostic tools for the disease and, by virtue, in particular of the models and the possibilities offered by genetic engineering, of developing a possible substitute therapy.
The gene involved in CADASIL has been localized on chromosome 19 and a finer localization is in particular mentioned in two patent applications with the same inventors.
It has now been possible to identify the gene involved in CADASIL which is the Notch3 gene.
The demonstration of the involvement of Notch3 in CADASIL has been possible given the previous limits which had been mentioned especially in the patent applications in question, the first interval (size 14 cM) was D19S221-D19S215 (first patent application), and then the second interval (size 2 cM) was D19S226-D19S199 (second patent application). The region of interest was cloned into a BAC and YAC contig (continuous nucleotide sequence) and its size was estimated at 800 kb. Analysis of this region with the aid of restriction enzymes showed a very high density of NotI, EagI and SacII sites which suggested the presence of numerous genes. Among the numerous transcripts identified by cDNA selection, one transcript showed a very strong homology with a sequence situated at the coding 5xe2x80x2 end of the mouse gene Notch3. Since other analytical factors seemed to corroborate this presence of the Notch3 gene in this situation, the latter was considered to be a good candidate gene by its position in the interval of interest.
The comparative studies carried out on known CADASIL families in comparison with healthy subjects have made it possible to identify mutations on this Notch3 gene in a large number of CADASIL subjects whereas such mutations were not observed on the healthy subjects analyzed. Since, finally, it has been possible to demonstrate the cosegregation of these mutations with the disease phenotype within effected families, the involvement of the Notch3 gene in CADASIL became incontestable.
All the point mutations observed lead to the creation or to the disappearance of a cysteine in one of the EGF domains of this protein. These mutations are clustered for a large part of them into the first six EGFs. The clustering of the mutations is certainly important in diagnostic terms especially for the xe2x80x9csequentialxe2x80x9d search for these mutations.
Moreover, all these mutations lead to the presence of an odd number of cysteines in one of the EGFs (either seven, or five cysteines) instead of the six cysteines normally present. These mutations could thus result in the formation of either intra- or intermolecular (and in this case in the formation of homo- or heterodimers) aberrant disulfide bridges.
The role of a normal or abnormal dimerization in the functioning of receptors, in particular their activation, is well known.
The Notch genes have been known for a very long time, especially in drosophila and their equivalent is known in vertebrates, in particular in mice. Its English name xe2x80x9cnotchxe2x80x9d comes from the fact that some mutations of this gene produce a notch in the wings of flies. The article by Spyros Artavanis-Tskanas et al., Science 268, 225 (1995) as well as the references which it contains indicate that the Notch proteins are essentially involved, especially in drosophila, in the specification of the cellular destiny during development, and although the protein is always expressed in adult organisms, its functions in the latter remain unknown. More precisely, it appears that the product of the Notch3 gene, hereinafter xe2x80x9cNotch3 proteinxe2x80x9d, is a cell receptor which controls a cascade of cellular events and whose mutation necessarily leads to greater or lesser disruptions in this cascade which may lead to many other neurological, especially cerebrovascular, disorders.
It should be recalled that, while in the text which follows there is interest more particularly in neurological disorders, in particular cerebrovascular-type disorders and most particularly CADASIL, it is probable, given the function of the cell receptor for the product of the Notch3 gene, that impairment of this receptor can lead to a disorganization of its interaction with various ligands but also with the various partners involved in the transduction cascade. Account should be taken, in addition, of the fact that the Notch3 protein might have other functions which have not yet been demonstrated. Under these conditions, it is highly probable that conditions exhibiting similarities with CADASIL may also be involved in the case of a mutation in the Notch3 gene.
Among the relevant diseases, there may be mentioned the sporadic forms of CADASIL, that is to say which occur without a family history but following a neomutation. Notch3 might moreover be involved in other conditions which may be classified into different groups:
Migraine and Hemiplegic Migraine
It was shown that at least one of the genes involved in familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), the dominant autosomal form of migraine with aura, was located in the same region of chromosome 19 as the CADASIL gene. It should be noted that more than 30% of patients suffering from CADASIL, a condition characterized by the repeated onset of cerebrovascular accidents and of a vascular dementia, suffered from migraine with aura. However, the latter is observed in only about 5% of the population; it is this observation which led to testing the involvement of the CADASIL gene in the mechanisms of this condition. The involvement of this gene in a form of migraine with or without aura was of considerable diagnostic and therapeutic interest because of the frequency of migraine with aura and of migraine without aura in the general population.
Other Vascular (Cerebral Infarct) and/or Dementia Pathologies of Unknown Etiology
This group corresponds to a very large number of patients in neurology, psychiatric and internal medicine departments and it is everything to do reasonable to think that Notch3 or a partner in this signaling pathway may be involved in these conditions for the reasons stated above.
Familial Paroxytic Ataxia
The situation is the same as for FHM. A gene responsible for this condition has been located in the same region of chromosome 19 and Notch3 could be implicated in this condition.
Moreover, the mutations of this gene are responsible for developmental abnormalities which are well known in other species as well as for neoplastic-type pathologies. Malformative and/or neoplastic syndromes in which there may be demonstrated a rearrangement of the region which contains this gene might be major candidates for the search for an involvement of this gene in their physiopathology.
These disorders may be grouped under the name of xe2x80x9cdisorders linked to the Notch3 receptorxe2x80x9d.
In some cases, this may involve disorders having a multigenic origin but in which the modifications of Notch3 might contribute to the onset of the pathology or to its worsening.
The present invention relates, first of all, to an isolated nucleotide sequence, characterized in that it is chosen from:
a) the sequences encoding the human Notch3 protein and its allelic variants,
b) the sequences encoding a fragment of these proteins and having at least 10 bases,
c) the human Notch3 genomic sequences and its alleles,
d) the sequences exhibiting at least 80%, and preferably at least 90%, homology with the sequences (a) and (c),
e) the fragments of the sequences (c) or (d) having at least 10 bases,
f) the sequences which hybridize with a sequence of (a) to (e).
It should be understood that the present invention does not relate to the genomic nucleotide sequences in their natural chromosomal environment, that is to say in the natural state; they are sequences which have been isolated, that is to say that they were collected directly or indirectly, for example by copying (cDNA), their environment having been at least partially modified.
Thus, this may also involve both cDNA and genomic DNA which is partially modified or carried by sequences which are at least partially different from the sequences carrying them naturally.
These sequences may also be described as being xe2x80x9cnonnaturalxe2x80x9d.
xe2x80x9cNucleic sequencexe2x80x9d is understood to mean a natural isolated, or synthetic, fragment of DNA and/or RNA designating a precise linkage of nucleotides, modified or otherwise, making it possible to define a fragment, a segment or a region of a nucleic acid.
xe2x80x9cAllelic variantxe2x80x9d of the protein is understood to mean all the mutated proteins and the polymorphisms which may exist in a human being, which are obtained in particular by truncation, substitution, deletion or addition of amino acid residues, as well as the artificial variants.
According to the invention, the nucleic sequence fragments may in particular encode domains of the protein or may be used as probe or as primer in methods of detection, identification or amplification. These fragments have a minimum size of 10 bases and fragments of 20 bases, preferably 30 bases, will be preferred.
According to the invention, the homology is solely of the statistical type; it means that the sequences exhibit at least 80%, and preferably 90%, of nucleotides in common.
The hybridization conditions should make it possible, according to the invention, to ensure at least 95% homology.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a nucleotide sequence chosen from:
a) the sequences encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acids according to the sequence in FIG. 1,
b) the nucleic sequences corresponding to FIG. 1,
c) a fragment of a sequence according to (a) or (b) containing at least 10 bases, and
d) a sequence which contains, relative to the sequences (a), (b) or (c), at most 20 partial mutations.
FIG. 1 represents the sequences of Notch3 as were sequenced on a normal genome.
The sequences are identified by references which make it possible to position them relative to each other using FIG. 3.
As regards the special remarks on (a), (b), (c) and (d), the previous remarks apply.
The invention also relates to the fragments of these sequences, in particular sequences encoding polypeptides which have retained all or part of the activity of the Notch3 protein.
Among the particularly advantageous sequences, there may be mentioned those encoding domains or combinations of domains of the Notch3 protein, that is to say the sequences:
xe2x80x9cEGFxe2x80x9d repeats
xe2x80x9cNotch/lin12xe2x80x9d repeats
xe2x80x9ccdc10/SW16xe2x80x9d repeats
or the transmembrane sequence.
Among the advantageous sequences are in particular the sequence encoded by the second transcript which will be described in the text which follows, the said transcript having an estimated size of between 1.3 and 2.4 kb.
These sequences may be identified with reference in particular to FIG. 2 which schematically represents the organization of Notch3.
These partial sequences can be used for numerous applications, as described below, especially for preparing Notch-type or different types of protein constructs, but also for preparing, for example, truncated Notch-like proteins which will serve as lure for the Notch3 ligand or as agonist for the protein.
It is also possible to envisage using these protein sequences for their intrinsic effects; thus, the EGF domains are present in other proteins, especially other receptors; reference may be made for example to Iain D. Campbell, Current Biology, 3: 385-392 (1993) for other applications of the EGF sequences in question.
While the sequences described are in general normal sequences, the invention also relates to the mutated sequences insofar as they contain at least one point mutation and preferably less than 20 mutations in total.
Preferably, the present invention relates to the nucleotide sequences in which the point mutations are not silent, that is to say that they lead to a modification of the amino acid encoded relative to the normal sequence. Still more preferably, these mutations affect amino acids which structure the Notch3 protein or the corresponding fragments thereof, that is to say in particular the mutations which suppress the cysteines or, on the contrary, which make them appear, but also the mutations which change the character of the protein, either from the charge point of view, or from the hydrophobicity point of view.
The present invention also relates to the mutations which may occur in the promoter and/or regulatory sequences of the human Notch3 gene, which may have effects on the expression of the protein.
Examples of such mutations will be described in the text which follows.
In general, the present invention relates to both the normal Notch3 protein and the mutated Notch3 proteins, as well as to their fragments and to the corresponding DNA and RNA sequences, that is to say the alleles.
It should be noted that the Northern blot study of the expression of this gene in human tissues reveals two transcripts. One having a size estimated at 7.5-9.5 kb is present in all the tissues tested; the other, whose size is between 1.3 and 2.4 kb, is detected only in some parts of the central nervous system. The present invention relates to these two transcripts.
Among the nucleotide fragments, there may be mentioned the intron genomic sequences of the Notch3 gene and more particularly the joining sequences between the introns and the exons, especially as are represented in Table A; and finally, the present invention relates to all the primers which may be deduced from the preceding nucleotide sequences and which may make it possible to detect them using an amplification method such as the PCR method, especially those presented in Table B.
The present invention also relates to the nucleotide sequences which may contain nonnatural nucleotides, especially sulfur-containing nucleotides for example or having an xcex1 or xcex2 structure.
Finally, the present invention of course relates to both the DNA and RNA sequences, as well as the corresponding double-stranded DNAs.
As will be described below for some applications, it may be necessary to provide for mixed constructs, protein/DNA/chemical compound, especially the use of intercalating agents for example; it should be understood that such compounds are covered by the patent as containing a sequence according to the invention.
The present invention also relates to the polypeptide or peptide proteins corresponding to the abovementioned sequences, in a nonnatural form, that is to say that they are not taken in their natural environment but obtained by purification from natural sources or obtained by genetic recombination, as will be described below.
The invention also relates to the same polypeptides or proteins obtained by chemical synthesis and capable of containing nonnatural amino acids.
The present invention relates to the recombinant proteins thus obtained both in a glycosylated and nonglycosylated form and capable of having or otherwise the natural tertiary structure.
In particular, the present invention relates to the Notch3 fragments which exhibit an activity similar to the total receptor, especially the soluble part(s) of said receptor corresponding in particular to their extracellular domain. These may be used especially as a lure in a therapy, as will be described below.
The present invention also relates to the cloning and expression vectors containing a nucleotide sequence as described above.
These cloning and expression vectors may contain elements ensuring the expression of the sequence in a host cell, especially promoter sequences and regulatory sequences which are efficient in said cell (see reference below).
The vector in question may be autonomously replicating or intended to ensure the integration of the sequence into the chromosomes of the host cell.
In the case of autonomously replicating systems, depending on the prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell, plasmid-type systems or viral systems will preferably be used, it being possible for the viral vectors to be especially adenoviruses, poxviruses or herpesviruses. Persons skilled in the art know the technologies which can be used for each of these viruses (see reference below).
When the integration of the sequence into the chromosomes of the host cell is desired, it will be necessary to provide for, on either side of the nucleotide sequence to be integrated, one or more sequences obtained from the host cell in order to bring about the recombination. These are also methods which are widely described in the prior art. It will be possible, for example, to use plasmid or viral type systems; such viruses will be, for example, retroviruses or AAVs (Adeno-Associated Viruses).
The invention also relates to the prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells transformed by a vector as described above, and this being in order to bring about the expression of a natural or mutated Notch3 protein or, for example, of one of its subunits.
As indicated above, the present invention also relates to the proteins, peptides or polypeptides obtained by culturing the cells thus transformed and recovering the protein expressed, it being possible for said recovery to be carried out intracellularly or extracellularly from the culture medium when the vector has been designed to bring about the excretion of the protein via for example a xe2x80x9cleaderxe2x80x9d sequence, the protein being in a pre-protein or prepro-protein form. The constructs allowing the secretion of the proteins are known both for prokaryotic systems and eukaryotic systems.
Among the cells which can be used for the production of these proteins, there may of course be mentioned bacterial cells, but also yeast cells, as well as animal cells, in particular mammalian cell cultures, but also insect cells in which methods using baculoviruses for example may be used (see reference below).
The cells thus obtained can make it possible to prepare natural or mutated Notch3 proteins, but also fragments of these proteins, especially polypeptides which may correspond to the different domains in question.
However, the cells transformed as described above may also be used as a model to study the interactions between the Notch gene and its various ligands as well as its influence on the products downstream of the receptor, but in particular they may be used in an application for the selection of products interacting with the natural or mutated Notch3 receptor, as an agonist or an antagonist of this receptor.
This type of cellular model may be produced using genetic engineering techniques. It involves, depending on the type of cells which it is desired to use, cloning the gene in question in its normal form or in its mutated form into an expression vector, whether it is an autonomously replicating vector or an integration vector, said vector containing all the elements allowing the expression of the gene in the cell in question, or the latter having all the elements allowing the expression of the sequence in question.
There are thus obtained eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells expressing the Notch3 protein(s) which, given its characteristics, will be situated like a transmembrane protein whose fine structure will be described in the text which follows, it being possible for said cells to then constitute models which make it possible to test at the same time the interactions of various ligands with the product of the Notch3 protein or to test synthetic chemical products capable of interacting with the product of the Notch3 gene, and this by adding them to the culture medium for said cells.
It should in particular be noted that the products in question may also be products with either antagonist or agonist activity.
The use of cellular models to test pharmaceutical products is well known; here again, there is no need to present this type of model in detail.
Another potential application of the characterization of this gene is the possibility of identifying potential ligands for this protein, either because they have a conserved sequence with human Notch3, or because they interact with Notch3 (affinity methods) or partners for this signaling pathway.
These models may be of the in vitro type, for example cultures of human cells, either in a normal culture, or possibly in the form of an isolated organ, such as for example certain types of vessels which may be transformed in order to cause them to express the desired phenotypes.
The present invention also relates to the organisms, such as animals, in particular mice, expressing the phenotype corresponding to the normal or mutated Notch3 of human origin. Here again, these animals may be used as model animals to test the efficacy of certain pharmaceutical products.
The present invention also relates to the products obtained using the preceding cellular models.
There will thus be obtained, depending on the type of interaction determined, therapeutic compositions characterized in that they contain, as active ingredient, a compound with a pro-Notch3 activity; this may be in particular all or part of a polypeptide as were described above or a vector expressing these same polypeptides, or else chemical or biological compounds having a pro-Notch3 activity, a Notch3-like activity or inducing the production of natural Notch3.
It will also be possible to demonstrate therapeutic compositions in which the active ingredient will have an anti-Notch3 action.
This may involve, here again, modified proteins described above which may play the role of a lure, or anti-Notch3 antibodies, in particular when these antibodies recognize the mutated receptors and will, under these conditions, be able to block the activity of the normal receptor.
This may also involve chemical products having an anti-Notch3 activity, or Notch3 antagonists.
In some cases, the use of some of the Notch3 domains may allow a therapeutic approach blocking the activity of the Notch3 receptor when the latter is mutated using soluble receptors which will serve as lure to the natural ligands; in other cases, it will be possible, by expressing the entire receptor, to provide a replacement therapy using either directly the proteins or fragments thereof, or directly expressing the protein, especially via gene therapy and using the vectors which were described above.
In the context of gene therapy, it is also possible to provide for the use of the sequences of the genes or cDNAs described above as xe2x80x9cnakedxe2x80x9d; this technique was in particular developed by the company Vical; it has shown that it was possible, under these conditions, to express the protein in certain tissues without requiring the use of the support for a viral vector in particular.
Still in the context of gene therapy, it is also possible to provide for the use of cells transformed ex vivo, which cells may then be reimplanted either as such or in systems of the organoid type, as is also known in the state of the art. It is also possible to envisage the use of an agent facilitating targeting of the determined cell type, penetration into the cells or transport to the nucleus.
Among the numerous pharmaceutical compounds which can be used, there should be mentioned more particularly, in addition to the ligands for the Notch3 product, the sense or anti-sense sequences interacting with the normal or mutated Notch3 gene, or interacting on the regulation or expression of these genes, it being also possible for said products to interact downstream of the expression products induced by the Notch3 receptors. The soluble sequences corresponding to Notch3 should furthermore be cited.
There should also be mentioned the monoclonal antibodies blocking the Notch3 receptors, in particular the mutated Notch3 receptors, and/or blocking the corresponding ligands and/or the products induced by said receptors which may therefore have pro or anti activities.
It should be recalled that the monoclonal antibodies directed against the Notch3 receptor may, depending on the epitope recognized, have a pro or anti-Notch3 activity which makes them useable in therapeutic compositions.
Finally, the present invention relates, as was said above, more particularly to the methods of diagnosing a predisposition to neurological conditions, especially of the CADASIL type, or of diseases linked to the Notch3 receptor in a patient, characterized in that the presence of a mutation in Notch3 is determined using a biological sample from said patient by analysis of all or part of a nucleic sequence corresponding to said gene, the presence of at least one such mutation being indicative of a predisposition of said patient to neurological conditions or diseases linked to the Notch3 receptor.
Other diagnostic methods can make it possible to characterize, by means of antibodies, the deposit expected in the basal membrane of the vascular smooth muscle cells, a deposit which might consist of the Notch3 protein itself or one of its cleavage products.
Among the desired mutations, there may be mentioned more particularly the mutations referenced in Table C and FIG. 3.
The nucleic acid sequences may be either genomic DNA, a cDNA or an mRNA.
As was said above, among the neurological disorders which may be demonstrated, there is understood more particularly disorders of the cerebrovascular type and especially CADASIL, but the list of certain disorders which might be linked to an abnormality in the Notch3 receptor has been previously given; among these conditions, there may be mentioned most particularly the potential involvement of Notch3 in migraines with or without aura and dementias of currently unknown etiology.
The diagnostic tools based on the present invention may allow a positive and differential diagnosis in a patient taken in isolation or alternatively a presymptomatic diagnosis in an at-risk subject (family history for example), it is also possible to envisage an antenatal diagnosis.
In addition, the detection of a specific mutation may allow an evolutive diagnosis.
The methods which make it possible to demonstrate the mutation in a gene relative to the natural gene are of course very numerous; they may be carried out by studying the genomic DNA, the cDNA and/or the protein. They can be essentially divided into two large categories, the first type of method is that in which the presence of a mutation is detected by comparing the mutated sequence with the corresponding nonmutated natural sequence, and the second type in which the presence of the mutation is detected indirectly, for example, by detecting the mismatches due to the presence of the mutation.
In both cases, the methods in which all or part of the sequence corresponding to Notch3 is amplified prior to the detection of the mutation will be preferred in general; these amplification methods may be carried out by the so-called PCR (see reference below) or PCR-like methods. PCR-like will be understood to designate all the methods using direct or indirect reproductions of the nucleic acid sequences, or in which the labeling systems have been amplified; these techniques are well known, in general they relate to the amplification of DNA by polymerase; when the original samples is an RNA, it is advisable to carry out a reverse transcription beforehand; a great number of methods allowing this amplification currently exists, for example the so-called NASBA and TMA methods which are well known to persons skilled in the art.
Table B gives the sequences of the PCR primers which make it possible to amplify the exons as well as the temperatures for the PCR reactions.
A general methodology for amplification of the sequences will be described in the examples.
Test for Point Mutations
In addition to the direct sequencing of the mutation, various methods may be used. The techniques will be briefly cited:
1) test for xe2x80x9cSingle Strand Conformation Polymorphismsxe2x80x9d (SSCP) (see reference below) or denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).
2) the methods based on a cleavage of the mismatched regions (enzymatic cleavage by S1 nuclease, chemical cleavage by various compounds such as piperidine or osmium tetroxide, and the like.
3) heteroduplex detection by electrophoresis,
4) methods based on the use in hybrication of allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) probes.
Other well known methods based on hybrication techniques can be used.
Test for Deletion, Inversion or Duplication Type Rearrangements
Other well known methods based on the techniques of hybridization with the aid of genomic probes, of cDNA probes, of oligonucleotide probes, of riboprobes, of so-called capture probes or of so-called detection probes, may be used for the test for this type of rearrangement.
Another diagnostic approach which can be used when DNA from several subjects of the same family is available is based on the method of linkage analysis which makes it possible to calculate the risk which a subject belonging to a linked family has of being a carrier or otherwise of the diseased gene. This analysis may be carried out with polymorphic markers situated in the immediate vicinity of the gene, or intragenic polymorphic markers.
It is important to recall that in the CADASIL families, the existence of mutations in the Notch3 gene corresponds to mutations which change amino acids which are essential for the function of the protein for which it encodes.
Moreover, in the examples, the situations of the mutations currently detected are indicated, but it is possible that other mutations exist in the Notch3 gene which have not yet been detected but which should lead to the same types of risks from the pathological point of view.
In any case, the mutated Notch3 proteins may exhibit an antigenicity which is different from that of the natural protein.
It is therefore possible to carry out a diagnosis or a prognosis of a susceptibility to neurological, in particular cerebrovascular, disorders of the CADASIL type and disorders linked to the Notch3 receptor, by detecting the product of the mutated gene for Notch3; this type of detection can be carried out, for example, with the aid of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies. Under these conditions, it is possible to detect and assay the abnormal product of the Notch3 gene by well known methods, RIA or ELISA for example; these technologies being known, they will not be further developed beforehand in the text which follows. Antibodies directed against the normal protein could also be used if the deposit present in the arteries of the skin corresponded to the Notch3 protein or to one of its cleavage products.
The present invention also relates to the labeled monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies corresponding to all or part of the mutated proteins so as to serve as imaging agent in vivo or ex vivo on biological samples.
Thus, it appears that the granular masses present in the basals of the vascular smooth muscle cells are due to an accumulation of the abnormal protein and the test for this protein with the aid of antibodies, either in biopsies or in vivo, is of a diagnostic interest.
Methods Based on the Detection of the Product of the Gene
The mutations of the Notch3 gene may be responsible for various modifications of the product of this gene, modifications which can be used for a diagnostic approach. Briefly, the protein may be truncated, reduced in size or absent; its properties, in particular its antigenicity, may be modified. All these modifications may be used in a diagnostic approach using several well known methods based on the use of mono- or polyclonal antibodies which recognize the normal protein or mutated variants, and this using the study of protein extracts or of tissue sections (for example skin biopsies), or studies carried out in vivo (imaging with the aid of antibodies coupled to a molecule which is detectable in PET-scan type imaging, and the like).
The polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies may be obtained by immunological reaction of a human or animal organism with an immunogenic agent consisting of a protein or a polypeptide capable of being obtained from prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells transformed by a vector as described above. Preferably, the immunogenic agent consists of a specific polypeptide of the mutated form of the Notch protein whose sequence is chosen from the polypeptide sequences comprising at least one mutation chosen from the mutations corresponding to FIG. 3 or to Table C.
The present invention finally relates to therapeutic compositions containing, as active ingredient, a compound with a pro-Notch3 activity, especially as described above, as well as therapeutic compositions containing, as active ingredient, a compound with an anti-Notch3 activity.